DocBookMD

DocbookMD is available to physicians for FREE who are members of NDMA. DocbookMD is an exclusive, free benefit of NDMA and is partnered with over 46 states.

What is DocBookMD?

Physicians now have the option to text each other patient information in a secure, HIPAA-compliant manner, thanks to an app called DocBookMD. DocBookMD is a physician-only smartphone app that allows physicians to:

When someone sends a normal text message, that message is stored on your mobile device, then it's stored with your mobile carrier, then it's stored with the recipient's mobile carrier, then it's stored on the recipient's mobile device. It's most likely stored elsewhere as well, and that's four minimum points of failure where that ePHI is compromised. This is not HIPAA compliant.

When you send a message through DocbookMD, none of the messages are stored on your mobile device. They're all stored on our encrypted servers, and our application gives you secure access to those messages stored on our encrypted servers. The only information that's stored on your mobile device is the app itself. Whenever you send a photo with DocbookMD, we recommend that you please take a photo with this app (instead of using your mobile device's camera). This ensures that the photo is not stored on your phone and is only stored on our encrypted servers. It's really that easy.

To maintain the highest level of security, we recommend that you enable a pin lock in your mobile device settings, and also enable a pin lock within DocbookMD. If your mobile device is stolen or misplaced, they will need to get past those two pin locks to get to your patient data. If you notify us that your device was misplaced, we can also disable your account.

DocbookMD can also be access on the web - https://webapp.docbookmd.com/#/login As you can see, our website is "https" instead of "http." This let's you know that the website is encrypted and secure.

To read more about how DocbookMD is HIPAA compliant, please visit our website's Features and HIPAA section here.

HIPAA-compliant text messaging

Message content can include patient information, such as diagnosis, test results, or medical history. Physicians can also add a high-resolution image of an EKG, an x-ray, lab report, or anything that can be photographed with a smart phone to the message.

Messages can then be sent using the app’s messaging priority system. Physicians can assign each message a 5-minute or 30-minute. “If the recipient does not answer the message within 5 minutes or if the message does not get to the doctor, you will then get a message back stating that it did not make it,” says Dr. Gueramy. “You can see and hear that the message you receive is different from any other text.”

All messages sent using DocBookMD meet HIPAA’s requirements for encryption and the security of protected health information. This is accomplished through technology that keeps everything encrypted on the DocBookMD server. Messages are not downloaded to the phone, but are viewed from the phone. For added security, physicians are required to sign a HIPAA agreement before using DocBookMD.